Doesn't 15 years old seem young for thinning hair?

[kcsmom]

My youngest son is 16 and has been thinning at his temples for over a year. The day after my husband gave him a buzz cut last August, his whole football team, including his coaches, pointed out how much thinner and lighter his hair was at the front. He started Rogaine 7 months ago and I thought it was helping, but he doesn't think it is. (He has curly hair and gets haircuts every 4 weeks so it can be hard to judge.) So his doctor prescribed fin 1.25mg daily, and we are giving this a try. I guess my question is, does anyone know of a teen this young taking this approach? I've seen posts about 17 and 18 year olds, but starting at 15?! It's the young age that's throwing me, not the fact that he is experiencing hair loss. My husband was thinning when we married at 22, and has been shaving his head for the past 23 years - a look I absolutely love! But obviously my young son isn't ready for that. He is very physically fit and used to be relatively confident, but this isn't easy for him. Any insight is appreciated!

[PappinAce]

15 is really early. What's his hair loss pattern like? Have you taken him to do blood work to make sure there isn't some other cause like iron deficiency?

Also, fin is not really safe for someone who is that young. It changes the hormonal profile. This could potentially limit his growth and cause bigger problems.

[kcsmom]

His blood work is fine, just had it checked before the fin prescription. I probably should have mentioned that he started puberty at 9 years old and was 5'10" by age 12, and that's where he's stayed for the past 4 years. The endocrinologist we consulted decided against treatment to delay puberty because although young, he was (barely) within the normal range of puberty in boys. So his acne has come and gone, he's been shaving for 4 years, and his growth plates have closed. I apologize for leaving this information out, I wasn't sure if other boys, regardless of age of puberty's onset, had experienced early hair loss. Looking at the charts, I would put his hair loss at II, but I'm new to this information and my son won't exactly let me post his photo.

[AlexieJ]

He is really young to experience such. I'm glad that you discover that though I was surprise that a 15 year old can experience thinning hair and it's pretty not normal at least for a very young man like him. Just hold on for some treatment and he will be fine soon.

[PappinAce]

Well if he's already through puberty then I would assume fin is safe in this case, but I'm not a doctor!

[Hairbrain]

I started seriously thinning at the age of 15. At that time the only option was Rogain but it was well over $100 a month. My parents thought I had a nervous problem that was causing my hair to fall out and wanted me to see a therapist. It was the late 80's, no real internet to speak of and little to no information to really get unless you went to the library. I actually was nervous but that wasn't what was causing my hair to fall out, the fact that my hair was falling out is what made me nervous. I suffered dearly through high school and young adult hood. I did go see a dermatologist while I was still 15, he diagnosed me with premature male pattern baldness. He basically told me there was nothing I could do but accept it with absolutely no sympathy in his voice at all. Needless to say it was the longest ride home ever, I remember trying to hold back the tears so my Mom wouldn't notice. Do what you can for your son, it can greatly impact his life in ways unimaginable to the average kid. I say stick with the Finasteride unless there are side affects, but fact is most never experience any. It has proven to be a great solution for many men. At a later stage in his life he will have options I didn't have. When I was bald(ing) the only people then with shaved heads were mostly going through chemo, so I never considered it as an option. Today by educating yourself you will find out there are solutions and almost no one needs to suffer the way I had to.

[dm90]

I only remember one person in highschool that had significant hairloss. It was really bad and his friends use to crack jokes like "rocking that hairline i see". It was painful to watch, but highschool is a cruel environment. I've never heard of fin being perscribed to a 16 year old, but no one here can give any advice against his doctor. To answer your question, yes it is rare but hairloss can happen at the onset of puberty. It is rare, but not "abnormal". Finasteride will help with this. Best of luck to your son, i have successfully treated my hairloss for nearly a decade now so there is always hope.